VINCENT MILES: AND THE FIST OF FIRE

CHAPTER 1: THE BEGINNING

                                                               

“Living in a world that Heroes are the ones responsible on protecting the weak and serving rightful justice, you can say that it is quite reassuring. Since villains are not your typical understanding of one. Monsters and criminals are lurking out there somewhere. So of course, Heroes are there to save the day! Day or night, they’ll come and save you no matter what. That is why the Hero Academy is here! We are here to breed and raise young and future heroes so that they will someday be the one to save and defend the innocent from those evil villains! And now, welcome first-year students of the Central Hero Academy! I’m Levels! One of your teachers! Pleased to meet you all!” announced the teacher.

And that’s how the boring orientation of the first-year students of the Academy ended. One more man stood at the stage and announced the sections of each student. The students are divided into ten sections with thirty-nine students in a section. The man ordered the students to line up with their respective classes at the middle of the school gymnasium. And now that the nine sections have been called, all that is left is the tenth-class students. He called the students one by one and then finally

“Vincent Fredrick Miles!” he announced.

Vincent, who is sitting at the top section of the gym, walked down quietly. All eyes are on him as he passes through students he can hear them whispering

“That Vincent Miles? The one who passed the exam without powers?” one whispered

“Shush! He might hear you” claimed the girl next to her.

He heard a bunch more whispers until he reached his line. His classmates are also staring at him, it is either a stare of disgust or a stare of disbelief. The fact that Vincent got in the Academy without any lick of power, became a hot topic that would ruin his life at the Academy. Since the first requirement on entering the prestigious school is power. And Vincent doesn’t have any. He just quietly endured the gossips and rumors and clutched the hilt of his sword on his left. The roll call has ended, and the classes are now complete from one to ten. They are then guided by the same announcer out of the gymnasium and to their classrooms. They reached the Queen’s building’s first floor and the first-class parted from the group. Then they continued climbing the stairs and on each floor, sections of students keep separating from the line, turns out that their classrooms and floors depends on what class number are you. And when they reached the fourth floor someone cling on the shoulders of Vincent who was at the back of the line. Vincent looked at the one who cling on to him and there he saw, his older sister

“Hey, Sophia” scowled Vincent.

His sister smiled at him trying to annoy him, but Vincent just kept on walking and followed his line.

“Is that how you greet your sister which you haven’t seen for ten years?” Sophia taunted.

Vincent ignored her again and it pissed her off. She then let go of him and smacked him lightly at the back of his head.

“Call Vi” yelled Sophia.

Vincent sighed. They continued climbing and finally reached the assigned floor of the tenth class, the tenth floor obviously. The man helped them until they arrived at their room which is at the end of the floor. Senior students are outside their rooms greeting first years sometimes shaking their hands and patting their backs. They all looked so happy. Inside their room waits a man wearing all black clothes, bald, and wearing a gloomy facial expression. The students got creeped out immediately and just quietly sat down on whatever seats that are near them and looked at man in front of them. Vincent sat at the left end near the window. The man stood up.

“Well, I think an introduction is a must” muttered the man.

He then started to walk around the room. Every student’s hair tingled, goosebumps after goosebumps. They felt like they are in a horror house which they thought they were since the room suddenly got chilly and students started to get nervous and scared.

“I am Andy Brown. I am also known as Gloom Face; my powers are the element of earth and super strength. I'm your Homeroom and Hero History teacher. Not pleased to meet you all” he murmured.

That absolutely sent more chills down the spines of every student. Now they feel like a caterpillar is crawling up their skins. Vincent on the other hand just sat there listening carefully to their gloomy teacher. The teacher then ordered the students to introduce themselves starting at front, they obeyed him quickly because they all thought that he might eat them if they didn’t. The introduction goes on and it finally reaches the last row. “Champ Otts!”, “Faye Philips”,” Jamie Philips” and finally it’s his turn. He then stood up and all the class’ eyes are on him

“Vincent Miles. I’m a swordsman.” sighed Vincent as he sat down and looked out the window again.

Mr. Brown then rolled his eyes.

The teacher went back to the front and as the bell rang and signaled the start of the first period.

“Today’s lesson is going to be about the nobles.” announced Brown.

Mr. Brown then started the class. He first enumerated the five remaining noble families by their ranks on the chalkboard

“1. The Gold Household

2.The Parker Household

3. The Miles Household

4.The Smith Household

5. The Marti Household”

He then tackled that these families are ranked according to their wealth, influence and power. The top three are the richest among the richest but the Household of Parker and Miles are known as powerful families since they produce heroes for generations until today. The Gold Household pretty much focuses on business and money making and there are only a few ones trying to pursue Heroism.

 After an hour of Hero History class, the bell rang. Mr. Brown walked outside, and room the burst into conversation. Vincent put his notes in his backpack, then went back on looking out the window. Vincent was away from civilization for ten years because he trained at the mountains since he was seven under the tutelage of his grandfather, so he is still fitting back into society and that’s why he doesn’t talk to his classmates. And he thinks that he is just an outcast because of his condition. He constantly fixes his jet-black hair as the strong wind blows through it. Vincent then remembered what his sister told him, to call Vi. He knows exactly what she meant, but doing it just annoys him. Vincent then tries to think of an excuse to not call her when someone called his name. He turned around and saw a boy with short blond hair and dark skin. The boy smiled at him, and Vincent forced a grin as an answer. The boy laughed.

“Don’t force it. I’m Champ Otts by the way, you can call me Otts or just Champ, “smiled Champ.

 He then reached his hand out offering a handshake and Vincent answered it with his own.

“Vincent Miles. You can call me whatever you want. Or just simply call me ‘disgrace’” mumbled Vincent.

Champ laughed at what Vincent has said, Vincent looked down, maybe embarrassed. Champ then assured Vincent that no one would call him that since they are all tenth-class students which is considered as the outcast section of the Academy. Vincent once again forced a smile. Their conversation went on.He just simply asked him about his swordsmanship and Vincent gladly answered him with limited and cut information. They were finally enjoying their conversation when someone suddenly tapped the front desk three times and all the students who are having conversations stopped their laughing and talking and all of them looked at the front to see a woman with long black hair standing and holding books on her side. All of them quickly sat down and silenced. The woman nodded and put her books on the front desk. She then went to the chalkboard and wrote something. Once she was finished, she showed us what she just written. It was her name and her position.

“MICHAELLA POLE,

POWER CLASS TEACHER”

They read it carefully. The teacher then realized that everyone has understand it except for Vincent who is struggling to figure out what does it mean. Their teacher then took a deep breath and then

“I WANT ALL OF YOU TO STAND UP! INTRODUCE YOURSELF! AND STATE YOUR GIVEN POWER! LET'S START WITH YOU!” boomed Ms. Michaella as all of the students stood up and the student at end of the front left row yelled his name and power.

And now Vincent understands on why he can’t get the Power Class. This class is for maybe the training of their powers, but he doesn’t have one. His classmates one by one yelled their names and powers while Vincent is becoming more jealous at the back row. It is finally his turn to tell his name and power. He took a deep breath.

“Vincent Miles. I am a swordsman!” he bellowed.

Michaella approached him quickly. She then asked Vincent on what he said, then he said the same thing, that he is a swordsman. The teacher grinned.

“So, you’re the one. I know your condition very well, you somehow managed to impress the headmaster to get in here. Even if you’re powerless, keep in mind that I won’t go easy on you,” she grinned “Okay class! Sit down! And get your notes!”

All of them quickly sat down and took out their notes. Michaella then went back at the front then thought to herself

 “This batch is going to be interesting”.

She started her class by asking questions that the students can easily answer. After a few questions, she resumed her original topic. INCAPACITATION/INCAPACITATOR. She then taught all about these weapons since their subject is all about powers. She explained that in order to become a hero, they all need to learn about these because this is somehow the basics. Incapacitators are weapons designed to either kill or weaken an individual with powers. Origins of these weapons are still unknown, but one thing is for sure, that they are made by the Hero Squad Mega Robotics and is handled and kept safe by the Hero Government Association. Incapacitator goes in different uses, it can be a wall, melee, bullets and most importantly, bombs. She then explained that it depends on the level of exposure the individual has made with a Incapacitator if he or she is going to survive. A deep wound from that weapon is said to be incurable and will remain a fresh wound forever. She continued until the bell rang. The lesson ended, and everyone is so interested in that lesson that almost all of them begged their teacher to stay. But she just glared at them angrily and then they silenced. The most amazing part of the lesson for Vincent is that a person can have the power of Incapacitation and told them that there are only three known users of it this day. And those users are famously known for being powerful since they are high-ranks, and if Vincent remembers it correctly, one of them is called the "Goddess of Destruction" because of her massive and destructive power. Those 3 users are regarded as powerful not just because of their prowess, but because they posses a power that can eras power itself which is pretty much dangerous since there is a lot of heroes out there. What confused Vincent is that why can't the deep wounds from the Incapacitator be cured? But making himself suffer to understand it just seems to be a drag for him, so he let it be and he prepared for his next class.